Contents

History

The Valar were the fourteen powerful spirits of the race of the Ainur who entered Arda after its creation to give order to the world and combat the evils of Melkor. They dwelt originally on the Isle of Almaren, but after its destruction, long before the Awakening of the Elves, they moved to Aman and founded Valinor.

They were the greatest of the Ainur who witnessed the Vision of Ilúvatar and so came to create Arda. Melkor came to Arda to claim it for his own.

Manwë and Melkor fought, and Manwë called other spirits to help him in his battle. Among these were the other Valar and the Maiar. Melkor withdrew from the battle, and the others continued their creation of the World. But Melkor saw this, and returned to fight for control of Arda.

The Valar (like any of the Ainur) have no fixed shape, but often take the shapes of Men and Elves, or they can remain invisible.

The Valar are not gods, though Men have often mistaken them as such in the beginning of Arda. They are actually emissaries or regents of Ilúvatar, the monotheistic God of the world, who rarely directly intervenes in the world's course of events.

Names

These are the names of the Valar as they were known to the Eldar. In Middle-earth, they were known by other names of Sindarin origin; for example they called Varda Elbereth. Men knew them by many other names, sometimes referring to them as "gods" at first. The Dwarves called Aulë, their creator, Mahal. It should be noted that, with the exception of Oromë, the names listed below are not actual names but rather titles: the true names of the Valar are nowhere recorded. Male Valar are called "Lords of the Valar"; females are called "Queens of the Valar," or Valier. In Sindarin, the equivalents to Vala and Valar would be Balan and Belain, respectively. They were not used in common language; it only survived in Orbelain and Cerch i Mbelain. In Sindarin, they were called Rodyn (singular Rodon) instead.

Lórien and Mandos are brothers and are referred to collectively as the Fëanturi or "Masters of Spirits".

Relationships between the Valar

Ilúvatar brought the Valar (and all of the Ainur) into being by his thought, and may therefore be considered their father. However, not all of the Valar are siblings; where this is held to be so it is because they are so "in the thought of Ilúvatar".

It was the Valar who first practiced marriage, and later passed on their custom to the Elves. However only one such marriage among the Valar took place within the world, that of Tulkas and Nessa after the raising of the Two Lamps. Ulmo and Nienna (and Melko) were unmarried.